We've Got to Protect Our Phony-Balony Jobs!

New York City is going to war against smoking -- fake smoking. Unbelievable:

On Thursday, the New York City Council made room in its legislative agenda — it was also busy commissioning a study on polystyrene foam — to pass by a vote of 43–8 (that lopsided majority an indicator of idiocy afoot) a measure that will, once Mayor Bloomberg signs it (oh, he will) shortly prohibit the vaping (that’s the word) of e-cigarettes anyplace where smoking is now banned in Gotham, bars, restaurants, offices, parks, the beach, you name it. Technically speaking, the ban will take effect as an amendment to the city’s Smoke-Free Air Act. That e-cigarettes do not emit any smoke was an irrelevance.

That's Andrew Stuttaford at NRO, and he has quite the lengthy report. What it boils down to is this: There's zero evidence that e-cigarets hurt anybody or have much more than a non-zero chance of causing cancer. So they must be outlawed... why?

If I had to guess, for NYC's pushy progs, it's just a matter of reflex.